Fire detection systems are generally known. Such systems are typically used in conjunction with a protected area (e.g., home, office, factory, etc.) to detect fires or other hazardous conditions (e.g., natural gas leaks, chemical discharge, etc.).
A fire detection system will typically include one or more environmental sensors (e.g., fire detection devices) coupled to a control panel. During normal use, the control panel monitors the environmental sensors for indications of hazardous conditions. Upon detecting an indication of such a condition, the control panel may activate a local alarm.
In addition to activating a local alarm, the control panel may also compose and send a fire alarm signal to a central monitoring station. The central monitoring station may, in turn, notify a local fire department or the police.
The environmental sensors used within such systems may be based upon any of a number of different types of technology. For example, some of the fire detectors may be based upon temperature rise. Alternatively, the fire detectors may be based upon technologies that detect products of combustion such as particulate or carbon monoxide.
While fire detection systems work well, they are often subject to false alarms and other communication problems. In order to trouble shoot the sources of such occurrences, it is often necessary to review a history of such occurrences saved within the control panel. Because of the difficulty in reviewing such files, a need exists for better methods of displaying records of sensor activation and of communication system failures.